e pardon as his first official act
after being elected to the governorship, in case he should be chosen.

The vote next day amply justified the hopes of O'Halloran and his
friends. The whole ticket, sent out by telegraph and messengers
throughout the State, was triumphantly elected by large majorities.
Only in one or two out-of-the-way places, where the news of the fall
of Megales did not arrive in time to affect the voting, did the old
government party make any showing worthy of consideration.

It was after Valdez's election had been made certain by the returns that
O'Halloran and Juan Valdez posted to the prison and visited father
and daughter. They separated in the lower corridor, one to visit the
defeated governor, the other Miss Carmencita. The problem before Juan
Valdez was to induce that young woman to remain in Chihuahua instead
of accompanying her father in his flight. He was a good fighter, and he
meant to win, if it were a possibility. She had tacitly admitted that
she loved him, but he knew that she felt that loyalty demanded she stay
by her father in his flight.

When O'Halloran was admitted to the cell where the governor and the
general were staying he laughed aloud.

"Faith, gentlemen, is this the best accommodation Governor Valdez can
furnish his guests? We must petition him to improve the sanitation of
his hotel."

"We are being told, one may suppose, that General Valdez is the newly
elected governor?"

"Right, your excellency, elected by a large majority to succeed the late
Governor Megales."

"Late!" The former governor lifted his eyebrows. "Am I also being told
that necessity demands the posting of the suicide bulletin, after all?"

"Not at all. Sure, I gave you me word, excellency. And that is one of
the reasons why I am here. We have arranged to run a special down the
line to-night, in order to avoid the risk of the news leaking out that
you are still here. Can you make your arrangements to take that train,
or will it hurry your packing too much?"

Megales laughed. "I have nothing to take with me except my daughter. The
rest of my possessions may be forwarded later."

"Oh, your daughter! Well, that's pat, too. What about the lad, Valdez?"

"Are you his representative, senor?"

"Oh, he can talk for himself." O'Halloran grinned. "He's doing it right
now, by the same token. Shall we interrupt a tete-a-tete and go pay our
compliments to Miss Carmencita? You will want to find out whether s